Recent Legionnaires’ Outbreaks

There is growing awareness, publicity and liability due to high profile legionella outbreaks.

Contact us to make sure your facility as a Water Management in place to reduce your likelihood of risk and liability.

Five Recent Legionnaires’ Disease Outbreaks:

1. Hospital plumbing system implicated in 46 cases, including 4 deaths. Forty-Six Legionella infections have been diagnosed among patients of a hospital in the Lisbon area of Portugal since October 31. Four of the patients have died. Portuguese health officials suspect the source of the outbreak was the hospital’s domestic (potable) plumbing system.

2. 15 Cases in Flushing, New York. Fifteen cases of Legionnaires’ disease were identified in Flushing, NY (New York City area) in October. NYC Health investigators tested several cooling towers and ordered disinfection of the ones in which Legionella was found.

3. Cases among Disneyland visitors. Twelve people who spent time in Anaheim, California in September were diagnosed with Legionnaires’ disease. After Orange County health officials saw that 9 of the 12 had visited Disneyland, the park shut down and disinfected two cooling towers. Most of the 12 who contracted the disease were hospitalized. One of the three persons who did not visit Disneyland in the days before onset of infection has died. Information about the environmental and epidemiologic investigation has not been reported.

4.Five cases at a New York City assisted living facility. Five residents of an assisted living facility in the Bronx (New York City) Riverdale neighborhood were diagnosed with Legionnaires’ disease last month. All five recovered without hospitalization. Little information about the investigation or response was found in news reports except that additional chemicals were added to the facility’s cooling towers.

5. Potting mix the suspected source of 10 cases. Ten people in Christchurch, New Zealand were hospitalized with Legionnaires’ disease earlier this month. Potting mix was reported as the suspected source. In New Zealand and Australia, Legionella longbeachae in potting mix is a major source of Legionnaires’ disease, accounting for approximately half of reported cases.